Warning-plate for wire fences



(No Model) S. PORRESTBR.

WARNING PLATE FOR WIRE FENCES.

No. 298,198. 'Paten ted May 6, 1884;

N. PETERS. Fhalo-Lilhngnphur, Washington. n,c

N-ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL FOBRESTER, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.-

WARNING-PLATE FOR WI RE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,193, dated May 6, 1884.

Application filed January 21, 1884. (No model.) 7

I aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL FoRREsTER, of Allegheny City, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a.

fences in'which the wires are provided with plates at proper intervals for the purpose of rendering the fence visible to cattle, in order that they may avoid the barrier. This is use- -ful when the strand-wires are not provided with barbs, as it keeps the cattle from running against the wires and tearing them from the posts. are provided with barbs, as it tends to prevent the cattle from coming against the barbs and injuring themselves.

A serious objection to the class of Warningplates heretofore in common use is that, being formed of fiat plates, they are only useful when a view of their .faces is presented, and if from accident they should be turned so that their planes lie in the Visual line of the cattle, or nearly so, they cease to be visible, and the beneficial results above named are not achieved.

It is the object of my invention to overcome this objectionable feature and to afford a warning-plate or a combined barb and warningplate which will be plainly Visible in whatever direction it may be turned.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective side views of my improved warning-plate, shown in position as secured between the strandwires of the fence. Fig. et'is a transverse section on the line to w of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the blank from which the warningplate shown in Fig. 3 is cut, illustrating the mode of cutting and bending it into the desired form.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the plate ais made from a flat blank of sheet metal, preferably rectangular in form, in the manner indicated in Fig. 5. By a die or other suitable means It is also useful in case the wires by the lines :1; w, x 00 whichextend from opposite sides partially across the blank, but so that the inner extremities, a 00 of the cuts may be somewhat separated from each other. Thecuts extend to and terminate on the line 2 2, which intersects the rectangular blank normally to its opposite sides, preferably bisecting it. By the two cuts 00 x, m 00 and the line m :0 connecting their inner extremities, the blank is divided into two sections, b and a, each section having a portion of its body on each side of the connecting-line w 00 The cuts :0 w, m :10 may be made at any desired angle with the line a 2'. In Figs. 3 and 5 they are shown as parallel to each other and diagonal, and in Figs. 1 and 2 they are at right angles to the line z 2. Thus made, the plate or blank a is inserted between the strandwires (1 d, and the latter are twisted closely up tothe plate into notches z 2, cut on opposite sides of the plate at the ends of the line .2 z, the strands thus extending on each side of the plate along this line and the connectingline 00 m The sections 12 and c are then bent on the latter line as an axis, (see Figs. 1, 2,

3, and 4,) preferably until their planes are at right angles to each other. By this process the inclosing strand-wires cl d are correspondingly twisted about the plate, and a secure and efficient fastening is provided. The purpose of the notches z z is to prevent lateral displacement of the warning-plate, and to secure it more firmly in place. It is not, however, indispensable to my improvement, since the bent sections of the plate are of themselves sufficient to hold it upon the strand-wires. The sections 12 and 0, having their planes inclined to each other, present faces in four different directions, and by indenting or barbing the salient edges of these faces, as shown in the drawings, the warning-plate may also be used as a barb.

The fence-wires being secured on my improved warning-plate on a continuous straight line across the plate, there is no torsion or strain upon it during the twisting operation, and for this reason it may be madequite light and thin. There is no danger of the plates becoming detached from the wires, and a fence-wire so made is capable of being rolled on reels and sold in the manner usual with reference to barb-wire. The warning-plate and barbs may be used with plain strandwires or in connection with other forms of barbs, as desired. The chief advantage of my improvement, however, is its visibility, since one of its faces is always presented to each side of the fence-barrier.

I am aware that barbs have been made from blanks out and bent diagonally, so that parts of the body may lie in different planes; but they have been so cut and bent that when made large enough to be serviceable as'warning-plates they cannot be fastened securely to the strand-wires without notching the uncut corners of the plate, and do not afford salient edges which may be advantageously barbed or serrated.

Having thus described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A warning-plate consisting of a quadrilateral plate or blank having two cuts or slits extending from opposite sides to the line 2 ,2", which intersects the plate normally to its other opposite sides, the parts thus formed being bent at an angle to each other on said line 2 z, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A warning-plate consisting of a fiat plate notched on two of its edges for the reception of the strand-wires of a fence, and dividedby two cuts extending from its other opposite sides partially across the plate, the parts thus formed being bent at an angle. to each other on the line connecting the inner extremities of the cuts, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of January, A. D. 188i.

SAMUEL FORRESTER.

\Vitnesses':

THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, \V. B. CORWIN. 

